My musings regarding GNU/Linux, GNU/BSD and GNU/Minix. I am in particular partial towards Debian GNU/Linux and Arch GNU/Linux. Generally these are my comments towards topics related to "Free as in Freedom" software and tips for installing and configuring Debian GNU/Linux and Arch GNU/Linux systems on laptops and other generics.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

So, Shuttleworth has done it again. He once stated that the ubuntu GNU/Linux server market is better than that of Red hat GNU/Linux. Now, recently it got bolder, He stated that the his unity engine betters the quartz UI and engine of the Mac os X. I dont know why somebody should ape a UI. People are already bored of all the present UI's. That is visible by the fact that apple put in features from ios to osX, as much as possible. Why was that done? It was done so as to keep the interest of the apple fans in their desktop version also. But apple should be lauded for keeping the two products seperate as they are "seperate".

I would like to re-iterate that GNU/Linux users cannot be bought just by apeing osX. The GNU/Linux desktop thrives on innovation. You want a claer desktop, why dont you start with awesome. Awesome depends on the user to configure things. Incorporate excellent desktop effects. But the basic phiosophy of a tiling display manager should be kept intact. In this way you can have an existing user base and convice them to shift. Make configuring things easy and you have a winner on your hands. The desktop should be unique easy to scale up and "fun" to use. Mr. Mac shuttleworth you are spending money in the wrong direction. Ubuntu GNU/Linux will sell without unity also, Try it and you will know it is true. People dont buy Ubuntu, people buy Ubuntu GNU/Linux because your PR is succesful in putting out the information that "installing" and "configuring" their GNU/Linux box is easy with this "distro". I request you to use this PR strategy and design a desktop which is like no other. Then you can have UR stamp on it and call it Ubuntu OS(only for new users and who dont want to know what is under the hood. As those new users get industrious, they will definitely land up with Arch GNU/Linux or Debian GNU/Linux. But until then u have won).

If you have won the normal users, the war is half won considering the enterprise market(Here I am basing my assumption on the success of Redhat model). The desktop should be seen with awe. Seeing jus 2 minutes of video on youtube should make users to try it immediately. And stop comparing GNU/Linux UI's with existing propreitory OS. GNU/Linux is unique and it will stay that way. So Mac shuttleworth, "INNOVATE". Dont catch up.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

I nor any devs whose works we are using are responsible for any sort of damage to your phone. It is all your responsibilty!!!!!!!!!

Ok, You have a streak running Froyo(from the dell official channel). The android implementation is buggy. Lets go ahead and install the hardwork of the devs at XDA and spice up our streak.

Prerequisites

1. streak mod recovery from here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=840326
2. amss.mbn and dsp1.mbn from here (It is better to try the latest version i.e., 407)
3. Basebands with numbers starting with 4 are for Gingerbread roms(android 2.3). Be careful not to use base bands from Froyo roms(Though people liked the last of the Froyo rom i.e., 366 and are using them in GB roms)
4. fast boot and adb tools from here http://mirror2.streakdroid.com/manii/Tools/Fastboot+ADB.zip Don't install anything. If you followed the previous post every driver required is already there. Just extract it and place all the contents in a folder.
5. copy the recovery.img from step 1 and put it into fastboot+adb/.…../win32/
6. put the amss.mbn and dsp1.mbn also to fastboot+adb/.../win32/
7. Download your favourite custom rom. My favourite rom for streak 5 is by tenontex, here.
Why, because it is easy to install and is based on CM 7.2(Android 2.3.7)

His post lists out all the devs who have sweated in keeping the streak alive. Thanx to all of their endeavours. The procedure for flashing the rom is very straight forward. Once we are finished with flashing recovery, you can follow the procedure in his OP to install the ROM.

8. copy the rom longhorn2.7.zip to the root of the SD card of your device.

Power on the streak while holding the camera button simultaneously. Device will enter into fast boot mode. Now connect it to the computer. Fire up the terminal, change directory to fastboot+adb/.../win32/ .

Once you run the last command, keep your fingers near the volume up and down button. Once the streak reboots and reaches the dell streak logo, press both the volume buttons simultaneously. This will take you to recovery mode. Here you ail have a black and white screen(This is the recovery of stock rom) with options namely,

1. Factory reset
2. Install update.zip ……..
3. ……

Use the volume keys to navigate up and down, Use the camera key to select. Select the second option the screen will turn to black background with blue menus. Now we are in streak mod recovery. Use volume keys to navigate and select advanced and then select nandroid and then select full backup. It will take a long time so, be patient.

Use the back key to go back to the original black and blue recovery screen. Here select update from update.zip and select "zip from sd card". Browse to the longhorn2.7.zip. choose yes in the next option. Wait the rom will get installed. From here please follow the steps mentioned in the tenontex post. Please strictly adhere to the steps mentioned there. It is "important".

In nor any devs whose works we are using are responsible for any damage to you phone. You are on your own!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You have a bricked Dell streak 5.

It happened because of the following reasons
1. buggy android implementation by dell
2. You did something wrong during rooting or flashing custom roms
3. The battery cover is loose and streak rebooted in the middle of an activity which results in corrupted internal partitions(which happened in the case with me)

Now "we" got to unbrick the streak 5 over selves as the model is discontinued since mid 2011.

Let us start......

1. Dell streak is getting stuck at the logo(Fine, better condition, since we can enter into fast boot mode and recovery mode)
2. Dell streak is completely dumb. That is pressing the power button does nothing. That is the real end of the tunnel(or, is it?)

1. Press the volume up button and keep holding it after five seconds(approx) connect the USB cable(The other end should always be connected to the computer) while holding the volume up button until you hear a ding sound from your windows pc. Now open device manager and check for driver listing in the "Unknown" section named "Qualcomm CDMA Technologies MSM". This is required for connecting the dell streak in diagnostic mode which in turn is used by the qdl tool. If not search for the driver and install it as you would install a regular windows driver. That is, right click on "Qualcomm CDMA Technologies MSM"" in the device manager and click upgrade driver. Browse for the folder you downloaded and the drivers will get installed. The "Qualcomm CDMA Technologies MSM"" will move from unknown to somewhere up in the device manager tree.

2. Download the driver from the second post and install it. This is the adb driver. This will be used by the qdl tool in the second stage. To check whether the driver has installed properly. power on the dell streak holding the camera button simultaneously. streak will give a white screen with fastboot on the right most corner. touch that area and streak will enter fast boot mode and the screen will tell that it is waiting for usb connection. Now connect the streak to the pc. You should hear a ding and the device manager should show "Android 1.0".

Now we have the pre-requisites for the diagnostic mode and fast boot mode.

Extract the streak flash and run the qdl.exe from here. Now press and hold the volume button while connecting the computer. If the qualcomm drivers were correctly installed you will see that name(qualcomm …) in the port setion. Now click run. Wait patiently. Once all the logs become green close the tool. Unplug the streak and reboot the computer.

Now extract repair tool. Again hold the vol up button while connecting the streak to the computer. Run the qdl.exe from this folder. Again you should see "qualcomm….." in the port section. Click Run. This tool is going to take a lot of time. Here we are carrying out diagnostics and also install Froyo with BB 306. Once all the logs are green and the tool is finished it may take more than 5 minutes. Be patient.

It will reboot several times since it has to enter fast boot mode to install recovery and flash the rom. If at the end, all the logs turn out green, Congrats, you have unblocked your device. Thank google for making and keeping android open and RMS for being adamant on his "free as in freedom" philosophy AND all the awesome devs and users at XDA. Exit the tool, unplug the device and reboot.

The first boot may take a little longer. If you boot your device successfully then you can go ahead and install custom roms which have been made with CM 7.2 as base(i.e., Android 2.3.7). Thank the devs at XDA for keeping the streak live and kicking. Streak 5 looks and performs beautifully on 2.3.7 cm 7.2 based roms.